Sanitary doorknor



z 936. M. Hm; 2,044,904

SANITARY DOQRKNOB Filed March 12, 1935 lNVE NTO R MAX HEI'SIG PatentedJune 23, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 15 Claims.

The invention relates to an antiseptic door knob of general applicationand particularly designed for use on the doors of toilets, cabinets andlike situations where a person with soiled hands is required to rotate aknob.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simplified means forautomatically supplying to the hands of the user a restricted and minuteamount of a liquid antiseptic as an instant of the user rotating theknob. The invention particularly features the supply of the antisepticsolution in such minute quantities as will prevent any objectionableamount of moisture being added to the hands, and the designing of theknob so that even the small amount of antiseptic discharged will be forthe most part wiped off on the knob itself, thus maintaining the knobmore or less covered at all times with a thin film of antiseptic andwhich by surface-evaporation will tend to maintain fumes of theantiseptic in the vicinity.

The invention further features the providing of means for maintaining asupplemental supply of the antiseptic housed within the doorconstruction and if desired even looked in position to defeat theft ofthe antiseptic solution.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in partobvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawing and in part willbe more fully set forth in the following pa ticular description of oneform of knob embodying the invention, and the invention also consists incertain new and novel features of con- .struction and combination ofparts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view-taken through .a hollow door knobconstituting a preferred embodiment of the invention and taken at itsmidwidth and on the line l--! of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the door knob of Fig.1 taken axially of the supporting knob bolt and taken approximately onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow; and V iFig. 3 is a view in elevation of an edge of a door showing a modifiedform of the invention from'the preferred form shown in Figs. 1 and 2housed within the outline of the door and with --parts broken away toshow normally hidden structure.

In the drawing and first referring to the simpler form of the inventionshown in Figs. 1 and 2 there is disclosed a hollow doorknob ll) of theusual ellipsoidal form and provided at diametrically opposite points inits circumference of maximum circular cross section shown in Fig. 1 witha, pair of round headed protuberants or finger engaging projections Hand I2 adapted to act as stops engaged by the fingers of the hand of theuser in the normal act of rotating the knob. In the illustratedembodiment of the invention the lower portion of the knob is formedsolid and the upper hollow space is divided by means of a verticallyextending partition l3 disposed in a plane containing the axis of theknob spindle i4 and arranged to divide the upper portion of the knobinto two liquid containing compartments l5 and Hi. It is suggestedhowever that the entire knob be formed hollow or that an additionalhorizontal partition be used to define the bottom l8 and thus avoid thenecessity of maintaining the lower part of the knob filled with liquid.Even in this case however sufiicient liquid will be splashed up on theinterior faces of the walls I! in the act of rotating the knob and thissplashed liquid will adhere to the wall and in flowing down will fillthe vents i 8 and 20.

The outer wall ll of each compartment is reduced in thickness as itapproaches the bottom l8 of each compartment and through this thin lowerportion of the wall I! is drilled a fine diametered and short dischargevent IQ for the compartment l5 and a similar vent 20 for the compartmentHi. It will be understood that except for these fine discharge vents atthe bottom of each compartment, the compartment is otherwise closed sothat there is formed a compartment without a balancing air vent on theupper portion. These discharge vents are of extremely small dischargingcapacity and in one form of the invention the vent is aboutone-thirty-second of an inch in diameter and one-sixteenth of an inch inlength.

The compartments are filled with a watery solution of a suitableantiseptic, preferably by the use of a pressure syringe introducing theliquid into each of the discharge vents which in this case function asfilling vents and the liquid as intruded raised in the compartment asindicated. Due to the small diameter of the vent the liquid does notflow freely therethrough and as a matter of fact there is no leakagefrom the compartment whatsoever. However, in the act of passing hisfingers across the outer face of the vent incidental to rotating theknob the operator withdraws through the vent, apparently by a frictionalor perhaps by an adhesion action, a minute quantity of the antisepticsolution. The

amount discharged at each actuation of the knob is so minute as not toobjectionably wet the hand of the user, but is sufficient to provide therequisite sterilizing or perhaps just a tendency towards sterilizationof the operators hand particularly in that part which actually contactedwith the handle.

In the more pretentious form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3,means are provided for carrying a reserve supply of the antisepticliquid so as to maintain the knob, or knobs as in the illustrated case,with the antiseptic solution for a longer period of time than ispossible with the more limited capacity of the knob containingcompartments [5 and it. In Fig. 3 there is disclosed a door 2! ofconventional design provided with a knob set 22 including a pair ofknobs 23 and 24 similar to the knob disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 exceptthat the partition 53 is omitted and there is but one compartment ineach knob. The knob set includes the usual squared knob spindle 25 atthe outer end of which the knobs 22 and 23 are conventionally secured sothat the knobs disclose no evidence of their function featured herein.The spindle illustrated however distinguishes from conventional forms ofsuch spindles in that it is provided with a liquid conveying bore 26extending axially therethrough and opening at opposite ends into theinteriors of the knobs 22 and 23. The spindle is also provided with ashort upstanding nipple 21 positioned within the outlines of the doorand located in the space between one side of the door and theconventional lock mechanism indicated at 28 and concealed by the usualface plate 29 secured by screws 30.

The portion of the door edge just above the lock and knob set isrecessed to form a compartment 3! in turn closed by means of a faceplate 32 secured by screws 33 or locked in closed position by means of alock indicated at 34. Within the compartment is mounted a reservoir orreceptacle 35 resting on a seat 36 and provided at its lower end with adischarge'nipple 3! offset from the seat. A discharge tube 38 preferablya glass tube is demountably secured in place by spring clips 39, has itsupper end demountably attached by means of a short rubber collar 40 tothe nipple 31 and leads downwardly towards the nipple 21. A flexiblerubber tube 4! has its upper end telescoped on the lower end of the tube38 and has its lower end in telescopic engagement with the nipple 21 soas to maintain the fluid conduit between the reservoir 35 and the bore26 of the bolt in all rotated positions of the knob.

In operation it will be understood that from time to time the reservoir35 is filled with some suitable antiseptic solution. The solution isfree to flow through the connecting tube 38, through the bore 26 of thespindle and into' hollow spaces in the knobs from which it is permittedto be Withdrawn through the discharge vent l9 and 20 as has beenhereinbefore described for the simpler form of the invention shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

By means of the device of the type herein described, it is possible tomaintain the door knobs of closets and other compartments in a sanitarycondition and disposed to supply a limited amount of antiseptic to thehands of the user automatically as an incident of rotating the knob andno more solution is used up than is necessary to meet the currentdemands.

While there has been shown, described and pointed out in the annexedclaims, certain novel features of theinvention, it will be understoodthat various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form anddetails of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a doorprovided at its free edge with a knob set including a knob spindleextending through the door and provided with a liquid conducting boreextending axially therethrough, a nipple opening into said bore withinthe outlines of the door, a pair of hollow knobs engaging opposite endsof the bolt and each adapted to receive the liquid discharge from thebore, the edge of the door above the knob set being recessed and havinga face plate closing said recess, a receptacle contained in the recessand provided with a discharge nipple, means forming a conduit within theoutline of the door, said means being detachably connected at its upperend to the receptacle nipple and similarly attached at its lower end tothe spindle nipple, the lower poriton of said conduit means being formedof rubber to provide a flexible connection with the spindle nipplethereby to permit the conventional rotary movement of the knob bolt.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a doorprovided at its free edge with a knob set including a knob spindleextending through the door and provided with a liquid conducting boreextending axially therethrough, a nipple opening into said bore withinthe outlines of the door, a pair of hollow knobs engaging opposite endsof the spindle and each adapted to receive the liquid discharge from thebore, the edge of the door above the knob set being recessed and havinga face plate closing said recess, a receptacle contained in the recessand provided with a discharge nipple, means forming a conduit within theoutline of the door, said means being detachably connected at its upperend to the receptacle nipple and similarly attached at its lower end tothe spindle nipple.

3. A door provided adjacent its free edge with a covered recess and aknob set including a hollow knob and a knob spindle with the knobmounted on one end of the spindle and the spindle in turn mounted in thedoor below said recess, a liquid reservoir housed in said recess, saidspindle provided with a liquid passageway dischargr ing into theinterior of the knob and said knob provided with a vent for dischargingits contents to the exterior of the knob, and means housed within thedoor forming a conduit leading from the reservoir to the passageway inthe spindle, said means including a flexible connection with the knobspindle to permit the spindle to rotate conventionally while maintainingthe flow between the reservoir and the discharge vent.

4. A door provided adjacent its free edge with a covered recess and aknob set including a hollow knob and a knob spindle with the knobmounted on one end of the spindle and the spindle in turn mounted in thedoor below said recess, a liquid reservoir housed in said recess, saidspindle provided with a liquid passageway discharging into the interiorof the knob and said knob provided with a vent for discharging itscontents to the exterior of the knob, and means housed within the doorforming a conduit leading from the reservoir to the passageway in thespindle.

5. A door provided adjacent its free edge with a recess and a knob setincluding a knob and a knob spindle mounted in the door below therecess, said knob provided with a liquid discharge vent and meansforming a reservoir in the recess and including a conduit leading fromsaid reservoir for supplying an antiseptic solution to the dischargevent.

6. A sanitary door knob provided with a compartment for containing aliquid antiseptic and having a discharge vent leading from the lowerportion of the compartment to the exterior surface of the knob, saidvent being extremely restricted in both diameter and length having adiameter of approximately one-thirty-second of an inch and having alength of approximately one-sixteenth of an inch thereby to defeat anytendency of a watery liquid from flowing freely through said vent butpermitting a restrained discharge of the liquid when the operator's handis passed over the outer end of the vent.

7. A sanitary door knob provided with a compartment for containing aliquid antiseptic and having a single discharge vent leading from thelower portion of the compartment to the exterior surface of the knob andsaid compartment being otherwise free of discharge vents and provided onits outer side with a hand engaging area continuous except for thesingle discharge vent.

8. A hollow door knob of conventional ellipsoidal form having anexternal hand engaging surface, and provided at diametrically oppositepoints in its circumference of maximum circular cross section with twofinger engaging projections and liquid discharge vents extending througheach of said projections for feeding liquid from the interior of theknob to the operators fingers as they engage said projections in the actof rotating the knob.

9. A sanitary hollow door knob provided with a small liquid dischargevent opening through a hand engaging portion of the knob forautomatically supplying a minute quantity of a liquid antisepticconfined to that portion of the hand of the person engaging the knobwhich is opposite the vent in the act of rotating the knob, and meanswithin the knob for maintaining a constant supply of the liquidantiseptic to said discharge vent.

10. A door knob provided with a liquid discharge vent opening on to anexterior handengaging surface of the knob and a reservoir for supplyingliquid to said vent.

11. In a door provided with a door knob, means for supplying anantiseptic solution to a portion of the knob which is likely to begrasped by the operator, a reservoir of such solution contained Withinthe outlines of the door and a conduit for supplying said means from thereservoir in all operative, rotative positions of the knob.

12. A door knob provided with a reservoir for containing a supply of anantiseptic solution and means including a discharge vent leading fromthe reservoir for feeding a limited amount of the solution to theoperators hand automatically as the hand engages the knob in the act ofrotating it.

13. A hollow door knob provided with an integral mounting shank forengaging with the knob bolt, an upstanding partition extendingapproximately in the vertical plane containing the axis of the shank anddividing the interior of the knob into two liquid containingcompartments, each compartment provided with a single small diametereddischarge vent adjacent its lower portion, said vents being atdiametrically opposite sides of the perimeter of the knob and normallylocated in the horizontal plane containing the axis of the shank.

14. A hollow door knob provided with an integral mounting shank forengaging with the knob bolt, an upstanding partition extendingapproximately in the vertical plane containing the axis of the shank anddividing the interior of the knob into two liquid containingcompartments, each compartment provided with a single small diametereddischarge vent adjacent its lower portion.

15. A hollow door knob having therein a compartment forming a reservoirfor a body of liquid, a small diametered discharge vent leading from thelower portion of the compartment and the compartment being otherwiseclosed.

MAX HEISIG.

